Kotono Shibuya (渋谷 琴乃, Shibuya Kotono; born 9 June 1975) is a Japanese actress and singer. She is known for starring as…Kotono Shibuya (渋谷 琴乃, Shibuya Kotono; born 9 June 1975) is a Japanese actress and singer. She is known for starring as Hitomi Nakayama in Bokura no Nanoka Kansensō 2 (1991), Sanae Misaki in Ai wa Dōda (1992), and Tomoko Ōno in Joyū Kyōko (2001). She released two singles from EMI Music Japan, and one of her songs was "Befriend", the ending theme of the tokusatsu series Shichisei Tōshin Guyferd.
Tomotaka Takahashi (高橋 智隆, Takahashi Tomotaka; born March 27, 1975) is a Japanese roboticist and founder of Kyoto…Tomotaka Takahashi (高橋 智隆, Takahashi Tomotaka; born March 27, 1975) is a Japanese roboticist and founder of Kyoto University's ROBO-GARAGE since 2018. Takahashi creates humanoid robots known for their smooth, fluid motions and sleek appearance. Having built many humanoid robots entirely by himself, from simple concepts to production, Takahashi's designs have been featured in several art exhibitions celebrating the creation of Astroboy, Time Magazine's Coolest Inventions of 2004, and promotions for Bandai, Panasonic, and Pepsi. He has also worked with toy companies to produce relatively inexpensive robots for the hobby market, including those for Kyosho (a Japanese toy manufacturer better known for their remote control cars). In early 2008, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (Panasonic) unveiled Takahashi's 4.5-ounce, 6.7-inch robot mascot for Panasonic's Evolta line of alkaline batteries (the longest lasting of its type according to the Guinness Book of World Records), which climbed a 1,500-ft. Grand Canyon cliff as a publicity stunt/demonstration on May 24, 2008. The robot was powered by a pair of Evolta batteries, and used a tiny rope to ascend the cliff face, which took approximately 6 hours and 45 minutes. Takahashi's largest robot to date is the Enryu T-52, which he designed for Tmsuk Co. Ltd. The Enryu (lit. "Support Dragon") is a 3.5m tall, 2.5m wide, 5t rescue robot that fully houses a human operator, but can also be controlled remotely if necessary via cameras located in the robot's head (including night vision), and on its front, back, and flanks. Its two, 10m long hydraulic arms have 6 degrees of freedom and are capable of lifting a car or other debris in the event of an earthquake, fire, or other disaster. The arms also come equipped with individual CCD cameras, useful when small, precise movements are necessary. It moves on caterpillar-style treads at approximately 3 km/h. As of 2006 the Enryu was still in the testing phase, and in July 2007 Tmsuk Co. Ltd. unveiled the completely redesigned Enryu T-53 (it is unclear what [if any] role Takahashi had in this redesign). He leads Team Osaka, a collaboration of: Osaka City, VSTONE Co. Ltd., Osaka University, Systec Akazawa, ROBO-GARAGE, and ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories, established in 2003 to develop robot technologies in Osaka Japan. Team Osaka competes in various robot competitions and events around the world, such as Robocup (robot soccer). Team Osaka has won the Louis Vuitton Humanoid Cup in 2004, 2005 and 2006. They lost to the German team NimbRo 5–7 in 2007.
Reiko Chiba (千葉 麗子, Chiba Reiko; born January 8, 1975) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, gravure idol, occasional…Reiko Chiba (千葉 麗子, Chiba Reiko; born January 8, 1975) is a Japanese actress, voice actress, gravure idol, occasional J-pop singer, and political activist.
Junko Kawada (河田 純子, Kawada Junko) (born November 22, 1974, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former J-pop idol…Junko Kawada (河田 純子, Kawada Junko) (born November 22, 1974, in Akita, Akita, Japan) is a former J-pop idol, singer-songwriter and actress. Throughout her career, she released three albums and nine singles.
Yoshika Matsubara (松原 良香, Matsubara Yoshika; born 19 August 1974) is a Japanese football manager and former player who…Yoshika Matsubara (松原 良香, Matsubara Yoshika; born 19 August 1974) is a Japanese football manager and former player who is the current manager of J3 League club Iwate Grulla Morioka.
Hiroyasu Shimizu (清水 宏保, Shimizu Hiroyasu; born 27 February 1974) is a Japanese speed skater. A five-time world…Hiroyasu Shimizu (清水 宏保, Shimizu Hiroyasu; born 27 February 1974) is a Japanese speed skater. A five-time world champion in the 500 meters, Shimizu became the first Japanese speed skater to win a gold medal with his performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At the 1998 World Championships, Shimizu set a world record (34.82) and became the first person to break the 35-second barrier in the event. Shimizu later broke this record at the 2001 World Championships with a time of 34.42. He was married to Japanese fashion model Reiko Takagaki.
Hololive Production, also known as just Hololive (both names stylized in lowercase), is a virtual YouTuber agency owned…Hololive Production, also known as just Hololive (both names stylized in lowercase), is a virtual YouTuber agency owned by Japanese tech entertainment company Cover Corporation. In addition to acting as a multi-channel network, Hololive Production also handles licensing, merchandising, music production and concert organization. As of June 2026, channels operated by Hololive Production had a combined 95.2 million subscribers on YouTube. The agency includes Japanese, Indonesian and English-speaking talents, including several of the most subscribed VTubers on YouTube and some of the most watched female streamers in the world. The name "Hololive" was initially used for Cover's 3D stream distribution app, launched in December 2017, and later its female VTuber agency, whose first generation debuted from May to June 2018. In December 2019, Hololive was merged with Cover's male Holostars agency and INoNaKa music label under the unified "Hololive Production" brand.
Sawaki Takeyasu (竹安 佐和記, Takeyasu Sawaki) (born August 30, 1973) is a Japanese video game artist, producer and…Sawaki Takeyasu (竹安 佐和記, Takeyasu Sawaki) (born August 30, 1973) is a Japanese video game artist, producer and director. Currently the head of his own development studio Crim, Takeyasu previously worked at Capcom and their subsidiary Clover Studio before becoming a freelance artist following Clover's dissolution in 2007.
Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder…Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder of the visual novel, anime development, and production enterprise Type-Moon, and for his illustrations on the visual novels, Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, which were adapted into an anime and manga series. He has frequently collaborated with fellow game designer Kinoko Nasu. In 2008, they contributed the special scenario to the Sega/Chunsoft visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which subsequently received a sequel anime titled Canaan. His real name is Tomotaka Takeuchi (竹内 友崇).
Keiko Ihara (井原 慶子, Ihara Keiko) (born July 4, 1973) is a Japanese auto racing driver and businesswoman. She was a…Keiko Ihara (井原 慶子, Ihara Keiko) (born July 4, 1973) is a Japanese auto racing driver and businesswoman. She was a former race queen, a model who appears in a swimsuit or other fashionable apparel at race circuits, before deciding to become a racing driver. She is one of the few Japanese women nationals to race internationally at a high level. Her best finishes in the British Formula Three Championship are two eighth places finishes in 2005, which helped her to a final championship standing position of 16th with 12 points. In the 2006 series, she finished in 17th and last position in the Championship Class, with four points. Ihara joined the Gulf Racing Middle East to compete at the FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class with Jean-Denis Délétraz and Fabien Giroix as codrivers. In 2013, she raced two rounds for Gulf Racing Middle East and four with OAK Racing, both in the LMP2 class. The driver won the Fuji round of the 2014 Asian Le Mans Series for Oak Racing, together with Ho-Pin Tung and David Cheng. As of 2025, Ihara is president of Future, a developer of hydrogen-assisted bicycles.
Muneaki Murai (村井 宗明, Murai Muneaki; born 30 May 1973) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Muneaki Murai (村井 宗明, Murai Muneaki; born 30 May 1973) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of the former Ōyama, Toyama and graduate of Doshisha University, Murai was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003.
Susumu Fujita (藤田 晋; born May 16, 1973) is a Japanese businessman, entrepreneur and racehorse owner. He founded…Susumu Fujita (藤田 晋; born May 16, 1973) is a Japanese businessman, entrepreneur and racehorse owner. He founded CyberAgent in 1998 and served as its president until December 2025, when he became representative director and chairman. He is also president of AbemaTV, Inc. and president and chief executive officer of Zelvia, Inc., the operating company of FC Machida Zelvia.
Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial…Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 until 2016, Sakata fought for Fighting Network RINGS, Pride FC, Deep and Rizin Fighting Federation, and holds notable victories over RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, UFC 23 Middleweight Tournament winner Kenichi Yamamoto, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and NCAA All-American and UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle.
Rikiō Takeshi (力皇 猛; born December 20, 1972 as Inoue Takeshi) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, who worked…Rikiō Takeshi (力皇 猛; born December 20, 1972 as Inoue Takeshi) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, who worked for Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former sumo wrestler.
Takafumi Horie (堀江 貴文, Horie Takafumi; born October 29, 1972) is a Japanese entrepreneur who founded Livedoor, a…Takafumi Horie (堀江 貴文, Horie Takafumi; born October 29, 1972) is a Japanese entrepreneur who founded Livedoor, a website design operation that grew into a popular internet portal. After being arrested and charged with securities fraud in 2006, he severed all connections with the company. His trial began on September 4, 2006. On March 16, 2007, Horie was sentenced to imprisonment of 2 years and 6 months. He is popularly known as Horiemon (ホリエモン) due to his resemblance to Doraemon, the chubby robot cat in a popular Japanese cartoon. The name Horiemon was also given to a racehorse he owned, after the name had been chosen by voting on a Livedoor website.
Taizo Son (Japanese: 孫泰蔵, romanized: Son Taizō, Korean: 손태장, born September 29, 1972) is a Japanese businessman of…Taizo Son (Japanese: 孫泰蔵, romanized: Son Taizō, Korean: 손태장, born September 29, 1972) is a Japanese businessman of Korean ancestry. He is CEO of Mistletoe, a company that he founded in 2013, and chairman of mobile gaming company GungHo, which he founded in 2002. GungHo's market value in 2013 was $10.4 billion, making Son a billionaire. He is the youngest brother of SoftBank magnate Masayoshi Son.
Katsuhisa Fujii (藤井 克久, Fujii Katsuhisa; born August 15, 1972), also known under the ring name Shamoji Fujii (藤井軍鶏侍…Katsuhisa Fujii (藤井 克久, Fujii Katsuhisa; born August 15, 1972), also known under the ring name Shamoji Fujii (藤井軍鶏侍, Fujii Shamoji) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, mostly known for his work in Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Hustle. A professional MMA competitor from 1996 until 2010, he competed for the UFC, Pride Fighting Championships, Pancrase, Deep, Fighting Network Rings, and M-1 Global.
Ai Haruna (はるな 愛, Haruna Ai; born 21 July 1972) is a Japanese transgender TV personality and singer. In October 2009…Ai Haruna (はるな 愛, Haruna Ai; born 21 July 1972) is a Japanese transgender TV personality and singer. In October 2009, Haruna won the "Miss International Queen 2009" transgender beauty pageant held in Pattaya, Thailand, becoming the first Japanese contestant to win the title. On 24 August 2021, she appeared at the beginning of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics held at the National Stadium, where she performed a dance performance. A biopic of Haruna, titled This Is I, was released on Netflix on 10 February 2026.
Shigetaka Kurita (栗田 穣崇; born May 9, 1972, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese interface designer often cited for his…Shigetaka Kurita (栗田 穣崇; born May 9, 1972, Gifu Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese interface designer often cited for his early work with emoji sets. Many refer to him as the creator of the emoji, a claim that has been corrected and clarified in recent years. He was part of the team that created one of the first emojis used solely for communication, a heart-shaped pictogram that appeared on an NTT DoCoMo pager aimed at teenagers. It went on to become the Red Heart emoji. This development and the aftermath of its use led Kurita to design a set of 176 colored emojis. Many of the general-use emojis used today by Unicode can be traced back to Kurita's set. He now works for Dwango Co. Ltd., a Japanese game company owned by Kadokawa Dwango Corporation. The NTT DoCoMo emoji set he created is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Osamu Suzuki (鈴木 おさむ, 鈴木 収, Suzuki Osamu; born 25 April 1972, in Chikura (now Minamibōsō), Awa District, Chiba) is a…Osamu Suzuki (鈴木 おさむ, 鈴木 収, Suzuki Osamu; born 25 April 1972, in Chikura (now Minamibōsō), Awa District, Chiba) is a Japanese television writer, screenwriter, lyricist, radio personality, and tarento. Since 2014, he has also been involved in organizing the Hakuhō Cup, a sumo tournament for children. Suzuki's pseudonym is Sumasuma Suzuki (すますま・すずき).
Tsuyoshi Shinjo (新庄 剛志, Shinjō Tsuyoshi; January 28, 1972), also known during the 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball…Tsuyoshi Shinjo (新庄 剛志, Shinjō Tsuyoshi; January 28, 1972), also known during the 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season as BIGBOSS (ビッグボス, Biggubosu), is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder and the current manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Shinjo began his playing career with the Hanshin Tigers, and moved to the United States to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets. He is the second Japanese-born position player to play an MLB game, as well as the first in the National League. In 2002, he joined the San Francisco Giants and was the first Japanese-born player to appear in the World Series. He had a second stint with the Mets in 2003, and returned to Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, with whom he won the Japan Series in his final season.
Shuntaro Furukawa (古川 俊太郎, Furukawa Shuntarō; born January 10, 1972) is a Japanese executive who currently serves as…Shuntaro Furukawa (古川 俊太郎, Furukawa Shuntarō; born January 10, 1972) is a Japanese executive who currently serves as the president of the video game company Nintendo. He succeeded Tatsumi Kimishima as the company's sixth president in June 2018.
Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and…Takahiro Ueno (上野高広, Ueno Takahiro; born 5 November 1971, Hokkaido) is a Japanese professional drifting driver and businessman, the former, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Car Make T&E. Ueno started his career with a Toyota Soarer JZZ30. Starting his Tuning shop Car Make T&E in October 1996. Founding the aero part branch, Vertex, he personally approves every new design. Most of the company's time when it was starting out was spent on developing the Toyota Soarer JZZ30 and this still continues today, using the D1 Grand Prix as a showcase. Ueno began competing in the D1 Grand Prix in his Toyota Soarer JZZ30 in the first round in 2001. Going on to win round 4 of the season and finishing in third overall in the championship. He has gone on to score points in every year since, though has never quite matched his original success. From 2009 to 2015, Ueno had used BMW M3 (E92). In 2016, Ueno celebrated the 20th anniversary of Car Make T&E, as he started using Toyota Soarer JZZ30 again. Currently, Ueno has been competing in the D1GP, driving Lexus RC since 2019.
Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…Yuichiro Kawa (川裕一郎, Kawa Yuichiro; born 27 October 1971) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2026. He was a member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2025.
Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a…Yoshikazu Higashitani (東谷 義和, Higashitani Yoshikazu; born October 6, 1971), also known as GaaSyy (ガーシー, Gāshī), is a Japanese politician, YouTuber, and businessman. He was elected into the House of Councillors in 2022 as part of the NHK Party, but was expelled on March 15, 2023 for not attending any sessions of Parliament. The following day, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sought an arrest warrant for alleged defamation of celebrities in his YouTube videos. On June 4, 2023, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Higashitani immediately upon his arrival at Narita Airport on suspicion of habitually threatening celebrities and others.
Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for…Chisato (千聖; stylized in all caps) (born on August 4, 1971) is a Japanese guitarist and singer. Originally known for being the guitarist of visual kei band Penicillin since 1992, in 1996 he started a solo career that has been successful in Japan. In 2003, he founded the solo project Crack6.
Chiaki Hayashi (林 千晶, Hayashi Chiaki) (born 1971) is a Japanese business woman and Asian Projects Co-ordinator at…Chiaki Hayashi (林 千晶, Hayashi Chiaki) (born 1971) is a Japanese business woman and Asian Projects Co-ordinator at Creative Commons.
Daisuke Enomoto (榎本 大輔, Enomoto Daisuke; born April 22, 1971, nicknamed Dice-K) is a Japanese businessman and former…Daisuke Enomoto (榎本 大輔, Enomoto Daisuke; born April 22, 1971, nicknamed Dice-K) is a Japanese businessman and former livedoor executive who hoped to become the fourth space tourist. He had trained at Star City, Moscow in Russia to fly with two members of Expedition 14 on board Soyuz TMA-9, which was launched on September 18, 2006. However, on August 21, 2006, a Russian Federal Space Agency spokesman announced that Enomoto was "deemed not ready to fly for exclusively medical reasons", although he hinted that Enomoto might recover and join a later mission. His replacement on this particular flight was Iranian-American businesswoman Anousheh Ansari. Enomoto lodged a lawsuit against Virginia-based Space Adventures in which he hoped to reclaim the $21 million he paid the company over a two-year span. During the lawsuit, it was revealed that the "medical reason" was chronic kidney stones. Space Adventures claims it advised Enomoto to treat the kidney stones aggressively and when he did not, they had to disqualify him from spaceflight. Enomoto claims that he was misled about the kidney stones issue, and that the real reason for his disqualification was his refusal to provide additional funds to Space Adventures. Enomoto would have been the first self-funded space tourist from Japan and Asia (journalist Toyohiro Akiyama flew on Soyuz TM-11 in 1990, and could be regarded as the first space business traveller). Enomoto's flight would have taken him to the International Space Station (ISS) after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the world's oldest spaceport. Enomoto made international news when it was revealed that he intended to go into space wearing a costume akin to that of Char Aznable, a character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. His planned experiment was to put together one or more Gundam models in zero gravity.
Takanori Aki (安藝 貴範, Aki Takanori; born 26 January 1971), also known as 'Aki-san', is the president and CEO of Good…Takanori Aki (安藝 貴範, Aki Takanori; born 26 January 1971), also known as 'Aki-san', is the president and CEO of Good Smile Company. He was born in Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. As the CEO of Good Smile Company he works to provide new content to fans of character figures and goods. He has also been involved in the production and planning of a number of anime series and films, which has led him to become one of the founding board members of the Ultra Super Pictures animation studio.
Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō; born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ)…Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō; born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape), and currently serves as artistic director for Kenzo. Additionally, he is a member of the Japanese group Teriyaki Boyz, serving as their official in-house DJ since the group's 2005 debut.
Hiromi Sato (佐藤 ひろ美, Satō Hiromi; born December 10, 1970) is a Japanese former singer and songwriter from Iwate…Hiromi Sato (佐藤 ひろ美, Satō Hiromi; born December 10, 1970) is a Japanese former singer and songwriter from Iwate Prefecture. She has performed for songs for games and anime, such as Mizuiro, Please Twins!, Green Green, and the Galaxy Angel games. She has also written songs for other artists. Prior to December 10, 2005, her name was written as 佐藤裕美. She is affiliated with ARIA Entertainment and their composing group Elements Garden. She runs the company S Inc.
Hajime Tsutsui (筒井 はじめ, Tsutsui Hajime) (born on December 7, 1970, in Tokyo) is a Japanese artist and designer.…Hajime Tsutsui (筒井 はじめ, Tsutsui Hajime) (born on December 7, 1970, in Tokyo) is a Japanese artist and designer. Currently, he works as a fashion designer for the design firms Tsusuihajime×Hyouzaemon, Tsutsui Hajime×L'Homos, and Ninita.
Shigeru Joshima (城島 茂, Jōshima Shigeru; born November 17, 1970) is a Japanese musician, actor and agricultural…Shigeru Joshima (城島 茂, Jōshima Shigeru; born November 17, 1970) is a Japanese musician, actor and agricultural entrepreneur. He was the leader and main guitarist of Tokio, a musical group of Starto Entertainment, formerly from Johnny & Associates, until its disbandment in 2025.
Kikka Hanazawa (花沢 菊香 born October 26, 1970) is a social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader focused on social impact…Kikka Hanazawa (花沢 菊香 born October 26, 1970) is a social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader focused on social impact, women’s entrepreneurship, and sustainability in the fashion world. Kikka is the co-Founder and CEO of Yabbey, a digital fashion library, and co-founder of Fashion Girls for Humanity, an award-winning nonprofit organization. She also serves on the board of Mercari, a publicly listed Japanese e-commerce company. Previously, she was the CEO of VPL, a U.S.-based fashion brand and a Certified B Corporation.
Takeshi Kimura (木村 武史, Kimura Takeshi; born 22 October 1970 in Matsudo) is a Japanese racing driver who last competed…Takeshi Kimura (木村 武史, Kimura Takeshi; born 22 October 1970 in Matsudo) is a Japanese racing driver who last competed in the European Le Mans Series for Kessel Racing. He is an Asian Le Mans Series class champion and also won 2022 GT World Challenge Asia overall. Kimura founded Ruf Co., Ltd. in 2001 and still serves as its CEO as of 2026. In February 2015, Kimura founded CarGuy Racing and also launched SeaGuy in 2024.
Katsuyuki Minami (南 克幸, Minami Katsuyuki; born 30 September 1970, in Nobeoka, Miyazaki) is a former volleyball player…Katsuyuki Minami (南 克幸, Minami Katsuyuki; born 30 September 1970, in Nobeoka, Miyazaki) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who played as a middle blocker for the Men's National Team in the 1990s. He played at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, finishing in sixth place. He finished in tenth place at the 1998 World Championship in Japan.
Takashi Itō (伊藤 隆, Itō Takashi; born September 22, 1970) is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer fighting out of…Takashi Itō (伊藤 隆, Itō Takashi; born September 22, 1970) is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Yamaki Gym in Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the owner of kickboxing gym "TARGET", and the manager of the kickboxing promotion company "R.I.S.E.". He won the world title of WMAF at Junior middleweight. He is Christian.
Takanori Nishikawa (西川 貴教, Nishikawa Takanori; born September 19, 1970) is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter…Takanori Nishikawa (西川 貴教, Nishikawa Takanori; born September 19, 1970) is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, voice actor, radio personality, and businessman. He performs under the stage name T.M.Revolution (T.M.R.), which stands for "Takanori Makes Revolution" (貴教が革命を起こす, Takanori ga kakumei o okosu), stemming from the famous 1980s pop electronic band TM Network. Despite most of his songs being written by Akio Inoue and composed/arranged by Daisuke Asakura (also TMR's former producer), T.M.Revolution is considered Nishikawa's solo project. Nishikawa is also known for contributions of ending and opening themes to many notable anime and game series. After three years as vocalist of the visual kei rock band Luis-Mary, Nishikawa debuted as TMR with the release of his first solo single "Dokusai (Monopolize)" (独裁 -monopolize-) in May 1996. Later that year, his third single "Heart of Sword (Yoake Mae)" (HEART OF SWORD ～夜明け前～) was used as the third ending song for the anime series Rurouni Kenshin, further expanding his fan base. He also contributed six songs to the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED franchise – three for Gundam SEED and three for Gundam SEED Destiny. Nishikawa has guest starred as a minor character in each of those anime series that featured his songs. In 2010, his single "Save the One, Save the All" was used as the ending theme song for the movie Bleach: Hell Verse. Several of Nishikawa's songs, such as "Crosswise" and "Flags", have been used by Capcom's Sengoku Basara video game series and media franchise. In 2005, Nishikawa formed the rock band Abingdon Boys School. T.M.Revolution was the first artist to be signed to Tofu Records, a record label (affiliated with Sony Music Japan) promoting Japanese artists in North America. Tofu released three of his studio albums: coordinate (2003), Seventh Heaven (2004), and vertical infinity (2005). Nishikawa made his North American live debut at Otakon, a large anime convention in 2003. He has also performed at Pacific Media Expo in 2004 and at the New York Comic Con in 2008. Nishikawa revisited his 2003 US performance at the Asian culture convention Otakon by performing at Otakon's 20th Anniversary on August 10, 2013.
Tomoya Higashino (東野智弥, Higashino Tomoya) is the former Head coach of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the…Tomoya Higashino (東野智弥, Higashino Tomoya) is the former Head coach of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the Japanese Bj League.
Yutaka Akita (秋田 豊, Akita Yutaka; born 6 August 1970) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a…Yutaka Akita (秋田 豊, Akita Yutaka; born 6 August 1970) is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently manager of J3 League club Kochi United. He played for Japan national team until 2003.
Masahiro Sakurai (桜井 政博, Sakurai Masahiro; born August 3, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and game designer…Masahiro Sakurai (桜井 政博, Sakurai Masahiro; born August 3, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and game designer best known as the creator of the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series. Apart from his work on those series, he also led the design of Meteos in 2005 and directed Kid Icarus: Uprising in 2012. Formerly an employee of HAL Laboratory, Sakurai left the company in 2003 and in 2005 with his wife Michiko Sakurai (also ex-HAL Laboratory) founded their company Sora Ltd., under which they work on a freelance basis. He was also an author of a weekly column for Famitsu magazine from 2003 to 2021, and has done voice acting work in some of his games, most notably providing the voice of King Dedede in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and the Super Smash Bros. series. From 2022 to 2024, Sakurai ran an educational YouTube channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, which discussed various topics in game design and his career.
Chiyomaru Shikura (志倉千代丸, Shikura Chiyomaru; born July 3, 1970) is a Japanese video game writer, lyricist and composer.…Chiyomaru Shikura (志倉千代丸, Shikura Chiyomaru; born July 3, 1970) is a Japanese video game writer, lyricist and composer. He is the executive producer and former chairman of Mages. He planned and wrote the 2008 visual novel Chaos;Head, and subsequently other works in the Science Adventure series including Steins;Gate. He has also been credited with composing the opening and ending songs of the Science Adventure series.
Kenji Eno (飯野賢治, Japanese pronunciation: [iꜜːno̞ ke̞ꜜɲd͡ʑi], Iino Kenji; May 5, 1970 – February 20, 2013) was a…Kenji Eno (飯野賢治, Japanese pronunciation: [iꜜːno̞ ke̞ꜜɲd͡ʑi], Iino Kenji; May 5, 1970 – February 20, 2013) was a Japanese musician and video game designer. He gained a reputation as a maverick during the mid-1990s for creating unorthodox games like Real Sound and is perhaps best remembered today for his rebellious marketing techniques. Outside of his homeland he was best known for his survival horror video games, D and Enemy Zero. Apart from creating video games, Eno was also a well-regarded electronic musician and he created the scores for several of his games. Eno founded the video game development companies EIM, Warp (later called Super Warp), and From Yellow to Orange. He also worked in a variety of fields apart from video games and music including the automotive, cellphone, tobacco, and hotel industries.
Hiroyuki Miyasako (宮迫博之, Miyasako Hiroyuki; born March 31, 1970 in Osaka) is a Japanese comedian, television presenter…Hiroyuki Miyasako (宮迫博之, Miyasako Hiroyuki; born March 31, 1970 in Osaka) is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, voice actor and plays the boke in Ameagari Kesshitai. His partner is Tōru Hotohara. He is represented by Yoshimoto Kogyo. Miyasako won the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 28th Hochi Film Awards for Thirteen Steps and Wild Berries.
Nobuyoshi Fujisawa (藤澤 信義, Fujisawa Nobuyoshi; born January 17, 1970) is from Gifu Prefecture, Japan and Representative…Nobuyoshi Fujisawa (藤澤 信義, Fujisawa Nobuyoshi; born January 17, 1970) is from Gifu Prefecture, Japan and Representative Director, President & Chief Executive Officer of J Trust Group which runs banking business, credit guarantee business and financial business in Asian countries.
